Supporting structure for trolley-conductors.



W. SCHAAKE. SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR TROLLEY GONDUCTORS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, I911- Patented Aug; 17, '1915.

ATTORN EY OLUMBEA PLANOG sra'rns mmor WILLIAM SCI-IAAKE, orrirrsiaunen, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR ro-wnsrr Ner ousn 'nnnc'rnrc- AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A conroRA'rIo or PENNSYLVANIA.

SUPPORTING S'JI-EU'CTURE FOR TROLLEY-CONDUOTQRS.

To all ohcm itmag concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM SOI-IAAKE, a

citizen of the United States,. and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny.

The object of my invention is to provide a structure of the above-indicated class that shall be simple, durable and effective in construction and particularly adapted to flexi-v bly support a trolley conductor and to prevent lateral displacement thereof by reason of the lateral thrust produced at curves, as

Well as by Wind and other external forces.

In the past it has been found expedient to employ sorcalled catenary line construction in connection ith high-speed. electrifications for the reason thatthe trolleyconductor is yieldingly supported substantially parallel to the track, whereby the trolley Wheel or collector is more readily maintamed 1n contact with the trolley conductor and excessive Wear of the conductor, due to poorcontact and heavy hammer blows at the points of suspension, is eliminated. y

In order to maintain the trolley conductor inalinement over the middle of the track and to prevent. any sidewise movement,-

Specification of LettersPatentJ A nc nonniea November 8, 1911.

thereof, particularly at'curves, it has been;

the practiceto, employ steadying, means at frequent intervals which usually comprise a steadying arm, one end of which is, pivoted to the pole or supporting bracket, the other end being: suitably clamped'fto. the trolley conductor. Although devicesof. this type. prevent lateral displacement, they are not entirely satisfactory for the ,reason that hard spots are-produced in the trolley conductor at the points Where the devices are clamped thereto, becauseof the vveight of the steadying arm and a certain component of the lateral strain upon the @011- ductor on curves. As a result of these hard I tively secured to the messenger Wire or cable 7 on opposite sides of the supporting bracket spots, frequent breakages of the trolley conductor occur, and the repair and mainte- V Patented'Auglfi, 1915, Serial N-o. 659,177.

nance, thereof becomes amatterof prohib i tlve cost.

It is thepurpose of my invention toeliminate thedn'iiculties just referred to and to provide a supporting structure Which shall iron;

be rugged and cheap in construction and shall efieotively accomplish the desired results. I v a Myi invention is-illustrated in the accompanying drawing, inwvhich Figure 1 is a View in side elevation of a portion of a supporting structure embody ing my invention, and Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Referring tothe drawing in detail, a pole or post 1 is provided with a laterally pro.- jecting bracket or support 2, Whichis firmly secured in position by a tie rod 3, in accord.-

ance ith the usual practice. Near the outer end't of the supporting bracket 2 is mount ed an insulator 5 that is securely attached-to thebracketgiby means of a suitable clamping device 6. clamping device 6 form no part of my presentinventionand are merely illustrative of any suitable .devices for accomplishing the desired results; therefore, no description of the same Will be given.

The insulator. 5 ,and the Amessenger Wire or cable 7 is supported over theftop of the insulator 5, although any.

other suitable method of support may-be em- I ployed, and a trolley conductor 8 is suspended therefrom at frequent intervals, in a Well known manner, by hangers 9.

One end-ofa; steadying arm 10 of insulating material ispiVOtally connected to. the supporting bracket 2 at a point 11, andthe other end '12 thereof isfflexibly supported from themessenger Wire or cable 7 by straps 13*Which diverge upwardly and are respec- 2 by iU-bolts 14, or other.suitable devices; By. thismeans, the Weight offthe steadying arm v1O Iis flexibly carried by the messenger 'Wire Z through the-agency of the straps 13,

it beingv understood. that niy invention is not restrictedto the straps shown but that any othersuitable supporting members may.

employed. 1 LA short and relatively light arm '15is ymovably connected, to the inner or freegend of the] steadying arm 10 by a horizontal pivot and projects laterally toward the trolley conductor 8 to which it is rigidly secured by a clamp 16 which may beef any Well known construction.

Throughthe agency of the structure just described, the trolley conductor 8 is yieldingly supported in such manner that it is relieved of the weight of the steadying arm 10 and is merely subjected to the comparatively negligible Weight of the arm 15, so that adequate provision is made against lateral displacement of the trolley conductor and, at the same time, the tendency to form hard spots therein at the pointed attachment, is avoided.

'Although I have shown and described a supporting structure for trolley conductors having specific structural details and arrangement and location of parts, those skilled in the art will readily understand that many modifications may be effected therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and I desire that only such limitations shall be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an overhead line structure for electric railways, the combination with a messenger Wire or cable and a supporting means therefor, of a trolley conductor and clamp therefor, a steadying arm, a short arm proj ecting laterally and rigidly from the trolley conductor and pivoted to the end of the steadying arm, and a pair of supporting members divergingfrom the end of the steadying arm and clamped to the messenger wire or cable. e v

2. Inan overhead railway structure, the combination with a messenger cable and a support therefor, of a trolley conductor, a

steadying arm projecting from saidssupport to a point adjacent to the trolley conductor and'eonnected thereto, and a pair of supporting membersfastened to the end of the steadying arm and diverging upwardly to the messenger cable.

3. In an overhead structure for electric railways, the combination withla messenger cable and a support therefor, of a trolley conductor and clamp, a short'arm projecting laterally and rigidly from said clamp, a steadying arm having its end pivotedto one end of said laterally projecting arm, and

a pair of diverging supporting members fastened tothe steadying arm and to the messenger cable. 1 l. In an overhead line structure for'electricrailways, the combination with a support, a messenger wire or cable supported thereby and a trolley conductor, of a jo nted J IIIGIIIbGPCOmPIISlHg a long arm securedto said support and a short" arm clamped to trolley said trolley conductor and supporting mem bers diverging from the joint end of said long arm to said messenger cable.

5. In an overhead structure for electric railways, the combination with a support port, a messenger wire'supported thereby,

and a trolley conductor, of a steadying arm having one end pivotally attached to said support and its other end connected to said conductor, and supporting members fastened to said steadying arm adjacent to the trolley conductor and diverging to the messenger Wire on the'respective sides of said support. a

7 An overhead line structure for electric railways comprising a pole, a supporting bracket, an insulator, a messenger wire, a trolley conductor suspended from said messenger wire, a pivotally mounted steadying arm, means for supporting said arm from said messenger wire, and a short arm piv otally secured to the end of said steadying arm and rigidly clamped to said trolley conductor.

8. An overhead structure for electric railended from said messen er wire a stead mg arm to prevent substantially all lateral displacement of said trolley conductorand means for applying the strain exerted by the weight of said steadying arm in an ap proximately i a P ane to a plurality of points on the messenger wire. 1

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 31st day of Oct,

WILLIAM SGHAAKE. lVitnesses: i I

E. W. STULL, B. B. HINns.

I Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissionerof Patents, i

" 1 7 Washington, D. 0. Y 

